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Catapult Sports to supply athlete tracking technology

Scottish Rugby has extended its supply agreement with world leader in performance analytics Catapult Sports, to track and improve athlete performance.

Scottish Rugby has been equipped with 110 additional devices designed to provide world class actionable feedback from training and games.

The technology will be used by both the Scotland and Scotland 7s team, as well as Scotland’s two professional clubs, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors. Scottish Rugby has an existing, long-standing relationship with Catapult,and this significant investment in extra technology shows their commitment to the future of sport using data.

Catapult’s elite athlete tracking devices fit into a player’s sports vest and synchronise to the OpenField software platform which allows the user to analyse data in real-time and after each session. Each device contains multiple individual sensors which collect close to 1,000 data points per second.

This information is then used to monitor athlete output, helping coaches to optimise performance, mitigate injury risk and support rehabilitation processes; three uses that combine to ensure that players are more frequently available and ready to perform at their best.

The arrangement also includes the installation of Catapults’ ClearSky technology at two of its training/match-day facilities including Oriam Scotland's Sports Performance Centre.

ClearSky is an innovative local positioning system that enables precise movement tracking regardless of environment. Independent from satellites, ClearSky delivers high-quality data both indoors and outdoors through a network of locally installed anchors, providing a greater level of insight into training sessions at Oriam.

Scottish Rugby and Catapult have agreed to enter into a Research and Innovation relationship that will help support the global ambition within World Rugby of improving athlete and team performance at all levels.

The world leader in sports performance analytics, Catapult Sports provides technology to over 1,500 teams around the world, including Saracens, Harlequins, the British and Irish Lions as well as Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax and LA Galaxy.

Stuart Yule, National Team Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, said:: “A critical determinant of rugby performance is the physical characteristics of the players.

"In a sport with ever increasing demands and competition, Catapult technologies provide meaningful and related information which enables continual improvement in players physical development and management. It is an exciting time to partner with Catapult based on the current insight provided on the demands of rugby.

"Catapult’s ambition for the future of its products, demonstrated by its roadmap, will continue to push the boundaries of our understanding of our sport allowing us to remain at the cutting edge of athlete development.”

Paul Boanas, Sales Director at Catapult added; "Having risen into the top five in the world in recent months, it is clear that Scotland are making huge progress on the international stage and we are thrilled to be part of that development.

"Catapult has been leading the way in rugby technology for over 10 years, and for this to be recognised by one of the world's best teams through a competitive tender process is testament to the team behind the scenes at Catapult."

About Catapult

Catapult exists to improve the performance of athletes and teams. Operating at the intersection of sports science and analytics, Catapult products are designed to optimise performance and mitigate the risk of injury. Today, Catapult has over 300 staff based across 24 locations worldwide, working with over 1,500 elite teams globally.